Wade joined his first band playing rhythm guitar when he was 13 and soon
became their lead singer playing the bass guitar. They became local favorites
playing Hops; and at 16, WADE AND THE NATIONALS performed in top night
clubs. Later, Wade performed with the show band LAFAYETTE AND LES SABRES
and as lead singer with a powerful 4 octave range, did many vocal impressions on
some hot cover tunes of Gene Pitney, Tom Jones, Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Gary
Puckett, Frankie Valli, and of course...Elvis Presley.
One night in 1968, during their performance, Wade received a special request to
perform”One Night With You.” He'll tell you sincerely, as a joke and much as he'd
done when he was 9 years old, he began his impression of Presley. I did all the hip
shakin' and everything, thinking I'd get a laugh,” he says, “but they gave me a
standing ovation and yelled for more!”
The show was soon transformed to focus on the Elvis Presley image, much to the
delight of many loving audiences. He's been performing for Elvis fans ever since. Presley himself saw the show in 1976 and gave Wade a standing ovation... One of only two such ovations ever reported seen by Presley staffers.
His show has never ceased to be in great demand, originating 9 years before Presley's untimely death in 1977 – and catapulted to even greater prominence since. Presley's step-mother contacted Elvis Wade in 1984 and joined his “Tribute to Elvis” tour acting as a font of knowledge for Elvis fans. "I recommend his show to truly be the finest tribute to Elvis"...Dee Presley. In 1986, the Jordanaires – Presley's longtime back-up vocalists for all of his live performances, records and movies... and nominated for the Country Music Association "Hall Of Fame" – contacted Elvis Wade to perform with them for an international tour. They performed together for over 12 years... breaking hearts and attendance records everywhere.